Two Souls Never Changing
by sphxsaphira
Summary: Bella, Alice and Rose are going their seperate ways. Through determination to make a life for herself, Bella finds something she never expected. But how different can Seattle be? A story of growth, change, and the brilliance of life itself. Normal pairs.
1. The Beginning

Two Souls Never Changing

BPOV

"Pleasse" Alice begged me, pouting.

She widened her eyes at me, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Pleasse let me cut it". She fingered a strand of my hair. "Please, please, please, please, pleassse let me cut it!"

"No Alice!" I shouted, slapping her hand away from my face. "There is no freaking way I'm going to let you cut my hair. I've been growing it out for a really long time. You **know** that. Why would you do this to me?" I crossed my arms angrily across my chest.

Alice gaped at me with an astonished look on her face. "Are you saying that you don't trust me to beatify and redo your obviously outdated and mediocre haircut?" she questioned challengingly.

"Excuse me!" I gasped. "I love my hair! It's beautiful, thank you very much." Alice pouted at me again and ignored my change of topic.

"But Bella, you're leaving tomorrow-" The tense angry mood of the room abruptly changed as Alice suddenly halted, her eyes brimming with tears as she was reminded of our imminent separation. I choked up, tears filling my eyes too. We'd known each other since freshman year of high school, and she was my best friend. Alice knew me better than anyone else on the planet. I couldn't even imagine going to college without her. Just then the pixie herself interrupted my reverie.

"And…and…you need something to remember me by." she finished off quietly.

"Alice, I couldn't forget you for the world. Not to mention you're going to call to check up on me every second of every day." I replied, giving her a quirky half smile. "I couldn't do without you."

"Don't try that sentimental crap with me Isabella Swan. Now sit your cute little butt down and let me work my magic. You know you're going to cave in eventually."

I huffed out, frustrated. She was right as usual.

"Fine Alice." I snapped sitting down. "But so help me God, if you-" She cut me off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now look down and tilt your head 15 degrees to the left."

I sighed. I never could say no to Alice. Especially, especially now, since I was so close to leaving. But, still…. I exhaled nervously. I couldn't help but be anxious for whatever torture she had planned next. I was very sure that nothing good could come of giving in to Alice's pleas. And I really liked my hair.

Three hours later, I very deeply regretted ever stepping foot into the hair salon to say hello.

"Alice?" I questioned hesitantly. "Just how short are you cutting it.? You know I can't pull off something like what you have."

"Oh shush." she reassured me. "You know you can pull off anything if you've got a mind too. Who was the one who bought that dress last year for the prom? You. And you looked fantastic. You'll love this style. It's perfect." She paused, snipping off the last split end. "There!" she declared. "Now turn around slowly, take it all in, and don't hurt me." I shivered. Alice sounded nervous. She was never nervous. I swiveled in my chair and cautiously opened my eyes to look in the mirror.

"Alice!" I shrieked. "What the hell?!"

"Now just calm down-"

"No way! You cut off like 12 inches!"

Alice put her petite hands on her hips and wagged a finger.

"Now just look here. I only layered it. Don't you love your bangs! They fall right across your eyes. You look gorgeous. It's so much better than your old boring haircut."

She rattled on, and I tuned her out. I lifted my hand to brush my new bangs out of my face. I speculated. It wasn't **so **bad. I'd get used to it.

Even though I couldn't believe I was even considering this…..maybe it was time I embraced the many new looks Alice gave me. It wasn't just the hair. It wasn't. The hair was okay. I grinned. And it really did give me something to remember her by. I'd get pissed every time I looked in the mirror. My grin became wider as I imagined the non-reaction I would get at college. I might even seem confident with the ultra-short frisk Alice had given me. I shook my head in reverence. She really did give me some variety. She made me do things I wouldn't normally do. She made me ask a guy out to prom. And that one time she took me clubbing at a karaoke bar and had me sing _Beautiful_ by Christina Aguilera. Not entirely up to the dirty dancing standard of music you usually hear at a club.

I shook myself out of the reverie and tried to brave up, and face the thing I was trying to hold off admitting to myself. Well, here goes. Alice was right. I cringed. And the cruel twist was that I actually agreed with her. Not only was this haircut a token of my admiration for her; it was my first step into unknown territory. It was the first step toward flying outside the radar, and really trusting myself to be enough.

I was trying to hit the ground running in college; but I wanted to step up. Outdo my normal. Beat my best record. I wanted to meet Alice halfway sometimes. And I above all, I also wanted to do something for myself.

Of course, an anxious voice interrupted my thoughts.

"So. What do you **really** think?" Alice, as usual, had snapped me out of my internal dialogue. She was chewing on a fingernail staring at me.

"Oh Alice." I sighed, exasperated. "Of course I like it. How could I not?" She squealed, very loudly I might add, and flung her arms around me for a short tight hug. All I saw was a blur of black hair. I giggled.

"Yayyayyayyayyayyayyay! I knew you would love it! I just knew it!"

She extricated herself and started jumping up and down. I pulled her in for another hug and smiled.

"I'll miss you Alice. And your crazy-bitch makeovers." I teased.

"Girl, those makeovers are soo last year." Alice replied in a flippant voice, rolling her eyes. I giggled again, a little sad. I would miss her so much. She pulled back and looked at me calculatingly.

"Come on." she said. "It's our last night before you're off to a faraway college. I'll call Rose."

I groaned playfully. I knew all about Alice's girl time, it usually materialized for me as some form of torture, while all the while I would be wishing to be up in my room, reading a good book. But tonight, truthfully, I was glad Alice had suggested it. I was eager for one last wild night with my life-long friends, and I needed all of her genuine Aliceness, and the whole group's spontaneity. I'd never thought about it before, but tonight I knew that Alice and Rose needed me as much as I needed them. The thought comforted me and made me despairingly sad at the same time. I wasn't going to see them again for who knew how long.

I grabbed a movie and flipped through the yellow pages, all the while trying to find some comfort in going to college. But I couldn't really get away from the fact that it was unnervingly terrifying. Seattle held all kind of expectations for me, heavy with insecurity and hope. All my own expectations. I wanted college to be some kind of different. I'd been wishing for this since junior year, but now that the time had come, I was terrified. I didn't want to leave Alice behind. She'd helped me so much to just figure out who I was over the years and really accept that person. I didn't know if I was ready to be on my own. I didn't want to lose all that Alice and Rose had helped me to gain. Well, I wasn't. I wasn't going to let being on my own make me nervous or insecure. I was going to be strong this fall. I was going to be who I'd always wanted to be. And I wasn't going to let Alice down.

I glanced in the mirror again at a brand new person. I knew that every time I saw her I was going to be astonished. Alice had made me look completely different. So right there and then I decided. I wasn't going to let myself down either.

I was lying on my bed, trying to sleep. It was pitch black and silent, but neither of these things helped me sleep, particularly in light of the fact that my mind was running around in circles. I slowly turned over to my side, running my hand through my recently-shortened hair. I would never get used to that. My pillow felt cool against my cheek and I closed my eyes thinking back over the night.

It turned out Rose couldn't come over. The thought depressed me. Emmet, her boyfriend, had called with a surprise date, and heaven knows she could never say no to him. Those two were soul mates. Three years and the couple was still going strong. Emmet would be proposing soon. I just hoped to be there for the event. Alice stuck around for a while, but I wasn't much fun. I just couldn't believe everything was ending so quickly. I wasn't a big fan of change. I never got accustomed quickly enough.

So now I was lying on my bed feeling pathetic. I sighed. It's not like there was anything I could do about it, and yet I was still irritated. I had finished packing hours ago. Now I just wanted to sleep. Unfortunately that one escape seemed impossible. Tonight, sleep was eternally out of reach. Slipping away with every new thought.

My flight left at 8am tomorrow, and currently at 2 o'clock in the morning, my chances of being on time were slim to none. I would almost certainly fall asleep at around 7 and then miss my alarm. I reached over toward my bedside table and twisted the volume knob all the way up. Maybe that would help.

I didn't feel like getting up, so I just lay there, thinking. Every thought that crawled into my head was an old one; already analyzed and overanalyzed dozen's of times. I grabbed my comforter and pulled it up to my chin, simultaneously trying to imagine anything that would help me sleep. Emmett and Rose. How did they do it? How had they found each other, and everything else? How did they find love? I drifted off to the image of an imaginary stranger. Murky and blurred in the outlines. Smart, sensitive, brave… The perfect stranger. I knew it wasn't healthy, but I was so tired I couldn't even try to exert control over myself right now. I thought more about him, daydreaming really. Beautiful to me, inside and out. Kissing someone like that, loving them, waking up beside them. I dimly wondered if the perfect someone was out there for me somewhere, but by then I was too far gone to contemplate. And finally I drifted into blessed sleep with thoughts of him.

Bright light, cutting through the curtains. I blinked sleepily. Wha? A dim beeping was breaking through my morning haze. Oh shit. I glanced at the alarm clock afraid of what I would see. Shit. 7:15. I knew I would be late, but _shit_.

I abruptly tried to jump out of bed, and with newfound vertigo and my aptitude for tripping, I abruptly tumbled to the floor. The _hard_ floor. I groaned. This day was just starting out lovely. Picking myself up and mumbling profanities under my breath I practically ran to the bathroom and yanked on my outfit from yesterday. Throwing my hair up in a ponytail, and grabbing a piece of gum from my purse, I was out of my apartment in about 5 seconds flat. That must have been a new record. From that point on through the next few hours, my whole world was a blur. I almost cried when security wouldn't let me through. Thanks to a very helpful guard and some Alice-worthy groveling, I barely made it to my gate in time.

When I finally sank into my velour business class seat I was enormously relieved. That feeling passed relatively quickly replaced by fatigue, and a seemingly chronic nervousness. I couldn't stop tapping. I took a deep breath. Okay Bella, calm down. I put my head in my hands and took another deep breath. Then I took out my laptop. It always calmed me down to write. Even before we took off, after I finished another chapter, I was actually pretty composed and relaxed. I had finally found some peace. I sighed again, closing the lid of my computer. I leaned back in my seat and found myself thinking about Seattle again. What would it be like? Of course I had been there to see the school, but this was different. I guess I wouldn't know until I got there.

Staring out the window again at the clouds and sunlight flashing by, I couldn't believe I was actually on my way there right now. I smiled against the glass, drifting. Not really thinking about anything, just occasionally catching glimpses of the earth, thousands of miles below. I was happy. Seattle. This could be the place for me. I realized I was grinning. Finally. I was **sure** about this decision. What do you know? It had to happen someday. I felt another grin flash onto my face. A voice came over the loudspeaker. I looked back up.

"Attention all passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'll be circling in for a landing in about 10 minutes. Welcome to Seattle folks."


	2. First Sight

EPOV

I could not believe I was actually going to this party. Jasper always did keep me on my toes. I must be either completely insane, or just an idiot. Was I seriously listening to Jasper again?! And it went so well the last time. My first college party was that disaster of an event where I got drunk off my ass. I don't even remember anything after the first five minutes of that night. It's apparently become a legend on campus, and Jasper has no reservations about teasing me about it. I'm going to murder him.

Okay, things since that night **had** been going well, but only because I steered clear of any common social gatherings. I barely knew what was going on in campus outside of my classes. It wasn't my fault. I had no idea what to do at these infernal things. I had no idea what to say. I didn't even know how to mingle. And to tell the truth, parties really freaked me out. They made me feel like that social outcast again. Like the solitary person I was in high school. And I didn't want all the progress Jasper had helped me make to come crashing down around my ears.

I was just starting to feel comfortable with all that non-comfort zone stuff, and he has to go and push me into something I just didn't need to do. I'm going to murder him.

Again. Good freaking' God. I have been thinking about this party all morning and I am about to lose my mind. For one, Jasper is driving me up the wall with all his Zen-acceptance of the truth crap. Don't even bother dude. Just because I know you're right doesn't mean I'm going to listen if you keep dragging me into your crazy half-assed schemes. He'd already squeezed an acceptance out of me this morning. Isn't that enough?

Even though I had a decent time with Jasper last time, I was definitely apprehensive for tonight's event. Besides the consuming mystery of Jasper's friend, which presented an interesting challenge for me, the wingman, I was starting to realize two things. One, I was a complete and hopeless pushover for agreeing to go to another party when I had a five-page essay due tomorrow; and two, I didn't really care. It surprised me. I'd been so focused on school, for so long, that these things never felt comfortable to me. And yet tonight, I felt like I needed to go to this party. And I wanted to go to this party.

Jasper and the other guys, well, for once I was starting to recognize that going to college meant more than growing up and taking responsibility for your life. Jasper had been pushing me to branch out and meet other people since day one. And he was right. It's just that so rarely I had found someone I'd connected too. That I had wanted to talk too. I never really thought I had been missing out on anything. I was always just focusing on the "important" things in life. School, music. And while those things were important, sometimes other things were **more** important, and more necessary.

"Edward!" Jasper yelled through my door. "What are you, a girl? Let's go! We're late." Hah. Like those valued and precious friendships that hang in a delicate balance. Oh, the irony. I suppose I **might** actually have fun. I smiled grimly and threw on a pair of jeans and plain white T. I was such a pushover. I didn't mind, not really. I was just so freaking' scared of all of this. It was so new. I grabbed my keys and pushed open the door to go face my death, or, in other words, (impatient) Jasper. His mouth was open, fist raised to pound again on my now open door.

"Oh thank God." he lowered his hand. "There you are. Now come on already. There's someone I want you to meet!" He grabbed his keys from off the counter and ran towards the door.

"We're taking my car. Meet me downstairs in five minutes after you've changed into something…different."

He left.

Huh. No torrential anger or irritation. We must either be really late, or this someone he wanted me to meet was exceptional. I didn't change; but as I searched for my coat and made my way to the parking lot, a thought struck me.

There was another reason I was going to this party. I was going because even though I'd changed, even though I was someone different now, and even though I had finally admitted it to myself; I still felt like I was missing something.

JPOV

Fuck. Edward sure can be an idiot sometimes. And a hypocrite. And a jack-ass. Oh, wait we're friends. Fuck. At least he was coming to this party. That guy over-thought everything, from what kind of toothpaste to get to what classes to take. I just wanted him to have a little fun in his life. You know, loosen up. It's not as if going to one party is the end of the world. Hopefully he won't be too stubborn tonight. Bro knows I've got his back.

EPOV

The lights flashed, the music was hypnotic, and the hosts had a full and open bar. All I could think about was how mind numbingly dull it all was. It had turned out that absolutely none of the guys could come, or, more accurately, bother showing up. Jared had some date, whom he very eloquently described as f***in hot. Josh and Zachary had **another** video game war planned; and Jasper, whom I had thought I could depend on, had very rudely ditched me, running off to find his "friend". He or she had still not yet made an appearance.

I was shoved my way through the sweaty bodies, still glancing around futilely for Jasper, when my world froze. Holy shit. People shoved against me, pushing me out of the way. I stumbled into a corner, still frozen. A girl. A staggeringly, stunningly, mind-blowing gorgeous girl. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't look away; those wide brown eyes locked with mine captured me. Music filled my head. A full orchestra, chorusing together, it was making the perfect sound. All I could see was those perfect eyes. Everything around me was a blur. The symphony played out in my mind, bringing my feelings to life, enveloping the moment in a blanket of perfection, shutting out everything else. I could hear the notes as clearly as if the musicians were standing right next to me, playing out a melody of ethereal beauty that corresponded perfectly with the images playing in front of my eyes. All I could see was her.

Her eyes. I was so lost. I could see into her soul through those eyes. Deep brown. An endless pool of chocolate, somehow with flecks of gold and green. They sparkled in the dim lighting. Beautiful. Those eyes. I could see her much too perfectly. She was staring right back at me in unmistakable surprise and shock, her mouth parted gently; and as her gaze suddenly snapped away from mine, I was distracted too. For the connection that had frozen us in our own private bubble suddenly shattered, and I was jolted back into reality like an ice-cold bucket of water had just been dumped over my head. Whoa.

I shook my head and stepped back, only now realizing the while her eyes held me, I had been standing frozen for the past few minutes with my mouth open, just running my hand through my hair again and again. I was gaping at her in complete astonishment. I yanked my hand away from my face. What was wrong with me? And who was she? I was unwilling to quit looking at her in any case, in hopes of seeing her eyes again. They revealed everything about her. My gaze, now free, trailed over her body. I was still shocked, but not so much that I couldn't comprehend how delicate she was. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her figure slim. Still perfect, and still stunningly beautiful. I could think of a million adjectives to describe her. Lovely, exquisite, pure.

I glanced away, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, trying to focus on finding Jasper, my thoughts still centered around this girl. A pang shot through me, and pain welled up. I still couldn't think. She turned me into a puddle of melted goo. My only clear reaction to her was one of rejection. There was no way we were in the same league. Whoever she was she was no concern of mine. I wouldn't know the first thing to say to her. Was I never going to see her again? Rejection washed through me, and I sat down heavily with a sigh. What was it about this girl? I'd never been so absorbed by someone before. I tried to refocus again. I had to find Jasper.

I looked up, and what I saw made emotions course through me like a tidal wave. Shock, followed by chagrin, and a sudden irrational anger. He was standing next to **her**, talking. She was his friend. They were talking.

My jaw clenched and my whole posture stiffened. I stood stock-still, tense and rigid. She must be the friend he had mentioned. My eyes flashed. How did he know her?! If they were dating… I couldn't even allow myself to think it. But then…he did say she was just a friend. My thoughts chased each other around in circles. I couldn't come up with an answer. What could I do? I could introduce myself. No, no way. I wasn't that brave.

Jasper spotted me and started walking in my direction, presumably to introduce me to his "friend". I had no idea what to think of her as now. I didn't have any idea who she was, but she was already so much more than just Jasper's friend to me. I swiftly closed the few steps between Jasper and I. At least there was one thing; I knew I had to get out of here and talk to Jasper. I had to think things over. I couldn't think at all with her around, especially at a party. What the hell would I say?

"Jasper!" I half-shouted. He looked up, startled by the desperate tone in my voice.

"What the fuck?" he asked, surprised and annoyed. "Where have you been? Come on, I've been looking for you everywhere. You've got to meet Bella."

Bella. My head snapped up to look again at her beautiful face, and I was lost again. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know everything about her. Bella. So that was the angel's name. I reveled in knowing it. Finally. I needed to know her. An acute need fueled by desire. Jasper again yanked me into the real world, tugging me through the crowd towards Bella. Oh shit

"No way Jasper. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, crap. I can't meet her now. Not here, not like this. I feel sick. My hair's a mess isn't it? Crap."

By now I was desperately pulling in the opposite direction than Jasper was towing me, leaning out of his grasp on my arm, and trying to swallow my uncontrollable panic that was suddenly and inexplicably all I could think about. I barely noticed that Jasper had stopped and was staring at me like I'd just lost my mind.

"Edward!" he yelled, interrupting my tirade. "Calm down. Take some deep breaths."

I breathed in deeply through my nose, and tried to relax. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Now." Jasper said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Jasper," I said "I don't have a f***in clue." He froze. He knew I never used language like that. With the cursing on top of all this excitement over Bella, he had probably gone into shock. I almost felt sorry for him before remembering what he trying to do. And as I thought about that hasty statement a little longer, dread started slowly rising over me. Of course Jasper was going to introduce me to her. And I was probably obligated to at least treat her with some sort of respect. Even if I didn't even know her that well. Normally that wouldn't have been an issue. I might have even enjoyed meeting someone who Jasper actually liked. But the obvious problem was that she was standing there like my own personal fantasy, and Jasper was, as of now, completely oblivious to my sudden infatuation.

She was drawing me in. No matter which way I turned, she trapped me. She didn't know it, but she could already control me with just a glance. To my surprise, I quite liked being captured. More than that, I was absolutely in love with the feeling that I had actually noticed her. And I wanted her to be able to have a hold on me. I rarely met someone who so easily captured my attention. Already this made her remarkable, as if everything else wasn't enough. I wanted more. I wanted to know that she felt the same way I did about her. That I wasn't alone any longer.

I looked over Jasper's shoulder for another quick glance at her angelic face, and as I stared, anxiety clawed its way back up my throat. I turned to Jasper.

"Look I don't know what it is about her." I said in a hurried whisper. "I just can't meet her. Not now. I have no idea what to say." Jasper looked at me, incredulous.

"Um, how about something like. Hey! Nice to meet you. I'm Edward. Look, you're being ridiculous. You're meeting her. Now come on."

"Jasper!" I hissed. "Just trust me on this, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

He looked at me for a moment. Then, sighing let go of my arm.

"Fine. But seriously, explain when we get back, okay? I'm completely lost."

"Yeah sure. I'm heading back now." I sighed. "I need some time to think."

"Aw, crap. You're the designated driver!"

I huffed in annoyance.

"I'm sure you'll survive Jasper. Make sure Bella knows you're gonna drink, and maybe get a ride home with her, okay? See you."

I walked away moodily, more confused than I had been in years. With one glance Bella had turned my world upside down. I had no idea what to think anymore.


End file.
